NAHCON Chairman and other senior management staff during the budget defence
Photo Credit: NAHCON MEDIA UNIT
Press Release
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Tuesday, defended its 2019 budget performance and presented the year 2020 budget proposal before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs,
The Commission’s spokesperson, Fatima Usara, in a statement to Hajjrepporters, said the commission also revealed its plan moving towards financial self-sustenance as it targets N70 million through internally generated revenue.
During the budget presentation chaired by the chairman senate committee on foreign affairs Adamu Bulkachuwa, the Hajj commission chairman, Abdullahi Muhammed defended the commission’s 2019 budget expenditure.
Mr Muhammad explained that “budget performance for 2019 stood at 36.62% by September 2019. He detailed the expenditure as : sub-total of approved budget for 2019 was N1,079,994,011.50 while the sub-total of budget released stood at N395, 447, 357.36. The latter figure as well represents actual expenditure.
“The allocation covers only personnel and overhead costs because all other operations of the Commission were independently sponsored through its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). The IGR is expected to rise with its relocation to Hajj House, the Commission’s permanent headquarters, formerly Metro Plaza, the statement added.
New Head Office, plan for financial self-sustenance
The NAHCON boss, also stated that while the Commission occupies the main building, other compartments in the new office such as, annexes B and C will be put up for revenue generation to contribute a projected minimum of N70m annual revenue.
Also, the proposed Hajj Savings Scheme intended to be a multidimensional winning formula for pilgrims, the Commission and federal government as well.
According to the official, after the scheme commenced operation, NAHCON would be financial self-sustenance providing funding for its personnel and overhead costs, would also place its staffs on a salary scale that would distract them from the revenue that will accrue from the proposed investments.
In his remarks, senator Bulkachuwa expressed delight that a government agency is having a tenable vision for self-sustenance, he commended the Commission for the this feat being the first time since 1975 that any Hajj body in the country would run its foreign and local operations 100% from its purse without funding from the government.
The Committee chairman promised to recommend additional 5% allocation to what NAHCON has already proposed as personnel and overhead costs for 2020 fiscal year. The proposed 2020 figure is N1,074, 057,009.00.
During the committee sitting, other senators at the meeting included senator Ignatius Longjan and Dimka Ayuba who also described NAHCON’s blueprint as fantastic. They commended the Chairman, Mr Muhammad and his team, urged them to carry on the good job.
Fatima Sanda Usara,
Head, Public Affairs,
NAHCON
